HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. – As Hillsborough County’s Democrat voter rolls are drastically diminishing, the Hillsborough County Republican Party is firing up registered Republicans to vote in the primaries by August 20.
That’s next Tuesday.
Carmen Edmonds, Chair of the Hillsborough County Republican Party spoke to Tampa Free Press about the voter numbers and why it’s so important that every registered Republican cast their primary ballots. She discussed what’s concerning about the County’s School Board.
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Edmonds said, “In Hillsborough County, we have historically had more registered Democrat voters than Republican voters. As of the General Election in 2022, there were around 70,000 more registered Democrats than Republicans. To date, in 2024, the Democrats only hold a 9,000 registered voter lead. What this means to Hillsborough County, is for the first time in many years, Republicans have a chance to hold seats in every office where a Republican is running in this election cycle. However, we cannot win unless Republicans and conservatives get out and vote.”
Early voting is already underway and ends on Sunday, August 18. The Supervisor of Elections website, votehillsborough.gov, lists early voting sites throughout the county. The website also lists designated precinct locations for Primary Election Day this Tuesday.
People registered as non-party affiliated can vote in the Primary Election, but only for judges and school board candidates.
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Edmonds said five Democrats lead the current Hillsborough County School Board but needs better leadership. She explained why.
“We need school board members who will perform a forensic audit and re-allocate money to give teachers much needed pay raises without raising our taxes. We need a school board who will put students first and focus on raising the literacy rates in our public schools. Tragically, almost half of all third graders in Hillsborough County Schools cannot read at grade level. This needs to change – but it won’t change unless we get out and vote for candidates that hold conservative values and will work tirelessly to correct the course of our public schools. As taxpayers, we should all demand better from our elected officials.”
Edmonds said everyone should remember that they pay taxes to support the county’s public schools, even if they don’t have children in the system.
The Republican Party’s official website can be found at hillsborough.gop.
Community members can visit or call to serve in volunteer opportunities, such as poll-watching, door-knocking, and working the telephone banks.
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